Sunday, December 30, 2012

So we broke the news about the Star Wars comic the other day, but we didn't address the elephant in the room...

That is, if Darth Vader is packing his bags, then the Man in the Hat will likely go with him. While the confirmation I was given was only about Star Wars, it's simple math that determines Indiana Jones will also follow Han Solo over to Marvel. So, then the question is what do they do with him?

Dark Horse has had a good run with Lucasfilm, being as they have had a better understanding of the properties than those that handled them in the past, and yes Marvel was one of those handlers. The Indiana Jones adventures under their licence has consisted of some pretty good adventures for Doctor Jones. From "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis," "Thunder in the Orient," "Indiana Jones and the Arms of Gold" to "Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Invincible Ruby," there have been some grand adventures. Dark Horse is a comic company that "gets" the pop-culture properties that it licenses. So we have to wonder if Marvel will "get" them since their last tales were a bit uninspiring.

Perhaps it'll be different the second time around. Perspective is everything. With all those out there in the business knowing how well received the Dark Horse stories of Indy have been, it'll give the editors over at Marvel's bull pin a little more reason to stay frosty. Hopefully, if the rights revert back to this in a couple of years they'll have a game plan ready. This is just my advice, no secret info that has been given to me by a Bothan or Nazi double agent. Take it for what it is: my opinion, nothing more, nothing less.

First thing they should do is something that they actually should NOT do. Don't make it a monthly.

That was one of the smart things that Dark Horse did. I mean, the books came out monthly, but it wasn't a monthly comic. These adventures had a beginning, middle, and end. There was no dragging out the story over a long period of months just to sell books. Each story they create should be self contained. With a certain number of issues, be it 6, 8, or maybe even a 12 issue maxi-series. Next, there has to be talent brought together, like one puts together a director, producer and writer on a film. Have different teams that can tackle adventures from every angle, every location, and have them have fun with the characters.

I personally would love to see John Byrne take another crack at Indiana Jones. He may not of course, since his dealing with a Lucasfilm Suit resulted in it being one of the worst comic book experiences of his professional career. But to imagine Denny O'Neil, Byrne and even Terry Austin together would be something I would gladly look forward to. And if Austin couldn't do it, how about Karl Kessel, they're two of the best inkers to ever handle Byrne's pencils.

Then someone like Chris Claremont would seem to make a great writers to stick his hand at Doctor Jones' adventures. How about you team him up with J. Scott Campbell, who's toyed around with the character for fun and is a fantastic artist. His Danger Girl series is already heavily inspired by Raiders-type adventures; how about letting him draw the actual thing?

Speaking of Raiders-type things, there have been a few "Tomb Raider" comics over the years and some of the artist/writers that have worked on these books would fit the mold perfectly for an Indy comic. I would love to see Andy Park illustrate a book by Marvel dealing with Jones globe traveling. He's such a talented artist, not only in comics, but as a conceptual artist (he worked on "The Avengers" and created some fantastic pieces) too. Maybe team him with Dan Jurgens, whom he worked with on Top Cow's Tomb Raider comic (the #1 comic of 1999, btw) and have them focus on some serial adventures?

Or take a iconic artist like Alex Ross and let him have his way with the fedora and whip? Imagine a fully painted issue of fortune and glory done by this talented artist. Team him up with a hot new talent like Sam Humphries or Rick Remender and you could have a very facinating adventure.

Or perhaps reach into the cinematic world? Why should Joss Whedon be the only one that can write for both film and comics? Someone who I think would be terrific for a Indiana Jones comic is Michael France (Cliffhanger, Fantastic Four - not the horrible Tim Story film, but the script which should have been made.), with the right artist, say someone like Ed Benes or Ivan Reis, they would make a fantastic comic book. That would be a mini-series I'd want to see.

Then there's Mark Protosevich (Thor and I Am Legend, both of which have amazing screenplays better than the actual films that were released.), who would be great to see do an adaptation of Indy's mcguffin hunts, perhaps pairing him with Travis Charest, and having his amazing art translate Protosevich's prose? I'm. So. There.

And these are just the ideas off the top of my head. Imagine what the Marvel editors could come up with if they sat in a room with a bunch of writers and artists pitching tales of the famed explorer? The mind truly boggles at that thought. To keep Indiana Jones relevant and in the public's eye, these would be rather quick and easy steps to continue to mine this property until that day when Kathleen Kennedy approves Paul Dini's animated series.

Today, Stan "The Man" Lee celebrates his 90th year on this planet. Now, I don't how old he is on another planet. You might have to ask Reed Richards since he knows the Marvel galaxies better than me. But Stan would go on to co-create most of the Marvel heroes we know and love today. From "Fantastic Four," "Spider-Man," "The Avengers," to countless others, the world of young boys and girls would change forever after the early 60's. He has handled the celebrity and success over the years with grace, flair and dignity. Stan Lee has become an icon of pop-culture, a living monument to American myth.And with great power, comes great responsibility...

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

If you need anymore proof that the Mouse picked the right person, look no further...

For Star Wars, I mean. MichaelArndt is a very talented writer. He knows story. He knows structure. He knows how to take an arc and follow through with a payoff. I don't know who will be the director that is chosen to film this chapter of the Star Wars saga, but I am confindant in the writer.

I have faith that the script he turns in will be well thought out, well written, and compelling. The man knows how to tell a story, even if it's a toy story. I trust Kathleen Kennedy guiding the project through, and it speaks volumes that she chose Arndt to work on the treatment and then the first script of this new trilogy.

If you want to see how smart a fellow he is, take a look at this video from 2007 where Michael Arndt gave a speech about his script for "Little Miss Sunshine" at a local San Francisco book store. I believe that after watching his conversation about the screenwriting process, you'll feel safer about him being in front of a keyboard typing out the future of that galaxy far, far away.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

From all of us here at Blue Sky Disney, to all of you, a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Thank you for your support and devotion to the site. I have always cared about Disney as a source of inspiration and solace in a world that needs every bit of positive influence that it can get.

Not everything can make the world a better place, but a smile and a warm heart are good places to start. Walt Disney knew that. I know that. Maybe you do to? I wish you a great time with friends and family as we close out the old year, and prepare for the new. Thanks for coming, and thanks for caring.

Friday, December 21, 2012

The Walt Disney Company completed the purchase of Lucasfilm today. With the closing of the bell on Wall Street, George Lucas' famous company now becomes another sibling in the colossus that is Disney. Here is the official press release:

BURBANK, Calif., December 21, 2012 – Continuing its strategy of
delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world,
Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney
Company (NYSE:DIS) announced today that Disney has completed its
acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Lucasfilm to the Disney family,” said
Iger. “Star Wars is one of the greatest family entertainment franchises
of all time and this transaction combines that world class content with
Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms,
businesses, and markets, which we believe will generate growth as well
as significant long-term value.”

Under the terms of the merger agreement, at closing Disney issued
37,076,679 shares and made a cash payment of $2,208,199,950. Based upon
the closing price of Disney shares on December 21, 2012 at $50.00, the
transaction has a total value of approximately $4.06 billion.

Lucasfilm’s assets include its massively popular Star Wars franchise,
operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products,
animation, visual effects, and audio post production, as well as a
substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies. It
operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, LucasArts, Industrial Light
& Magic, and Skywalker Sound.

Strange that they don't mention "Indiana Jones" in that. I know that "Star Wars" is the primary motivation for the purchase, but the famed archaeological professor ain't no wall flower. He can hold his own. Not to mention all the other properties Disney has access to (American Graffiti, etc.).

But what fans have wanted for years has come to pass. George no longer has control over his creation. Now, the future of Star Wars is in the hands of someone else, for another generation.

But when someone like Brad Bird hasn't gotten the green light yet for his new project, you know that people are saving their nickles. Suits I'm talking about. And I can't say I blame them with all the problems in the economy, and politicians that don't know a thing about how it (business) works trying to tell them how to run their business. But it goes to show you how difficult it is to make a film these days unless it involves a safe property; a known brand, superhero, or best selling novel. Suits want sure things with all the money they put up. Only, we know there is no such thing as a sure thing.

Damon Lindelof is one of the biggest writers in the film/television business. Brad Bird is one of the most successful film directors currently working. We found out months ago that they were working on a secret project at Disney known as "1952," which the Suits were very excited about. It was based on an idea from Lindelof, and, we thought, his script. Now, we find out that he and Bird are co-writing the script. Together they're trying to tie down a budget and get a worthy star (George Clooney) that will ensure the heads of the studio that this project will get the green light.

I have no doubt that when this all comes together we'll see the script move into a position where pre-production starts. But the long process that film makers like this go through to get the Mouse to say "yes" is statement of the times we live in. Should everything go swimmingly, this film should get going around the middle of next year. That means we could see this new Brad Bird film during the holidays of 2014, or if production takes longer, spring 2015. If that happens, that year is going to be a monster; there are already so many films being released that year. Boggles the mind a bit. If you'd like to know more, the guys over at Collider have a great interview with Lindelof that I'm sure will be of interest to you even in this grim economy.

But on the bright side, a new Brad Bird film starting is a great thing...

And we got a lot of serious flack from people saying it was just fanboi rumors and masturbatory dreams, but it wasn't and isn't still. See, the only way what I said wasn't true, would be if the Lucasfilm Suit that told it to my Bothan was lying to his face. And this particular Bothan I know very well, and would trust with my life. He's in the know. And the Suit I'm talking about is high up, not an underling. So when Lucasfilm started issuing parsely worded statements, and then outright denial, they're not exactly telling you the truth. You see, it's not a lie, if they haven't actually done it yet. Read between the actual words when you hear their press releases.

The powers-that-be wouldn't want to announce it right now anyway, but that doesn't mean it's not in the planning. The only thing that will stop this from happening is if the box office from the next few Star Wars3D conversions turn out to be disappointing. Now, Episode I wasn't a box office bonanza, but remember the film isn't exactly beloved by my most fans. As each release comes out we'll be able to get a better reaction to the audiences' warming up to the conversions. I'd think that Sith, Hope, and Empire will get a bigger slice of the box office pie when they come out. Should they not, the guys in Burbank/Marin County might start having doubts, but second thoughts aren't in the cards right now.

If KathleenKennedy and her Lucasfilm Suits get cold feet then the Raiders conversion may be shelved, but as of a couple weeks ago it was still in the planning. So adventure in the third dimension is up ahead.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Fox's hired geek guru has been giving updates about the adaptations the studio are doing...

Mark Millar, 20th Century Fox's adviser on how not to screw up superheros has been letting the fan base know what is going on with the upcoming slate of films. He had some interesting things to say about the recent and soon to be released films:

"Looking forward to: In 2013? Kick-Ass 2. There can be only
one. Also buzzed about Superman and - the big surprise, I think - The
Wolverine. The script is amazing and Mangold is such a brilliant
director. Seen the first 10 mins and it looks like David Lean doing a
superhero movie."

I certainly hope so. A lot of the time it appears that suits don't really know how to handle these characters properly, and with the exception of Marvel Studios, they still don't. Warner Bros. has had success dealing with only the Last Son of Krypton and the Guardian of Gotham. All the other characters in their stable have eluded them. Mainly, I believe, because they simply don't have an understanding of the characters, or how to translate them.

I certainly hope that Warner doesn't screw up Batman and try to reboot the project through a Bruce Wayne-less character. It would show they've learned nothing in their quest to move these nuggets of gold forward into the hole filled by Harry Potter.

While I have some sympathy for the Fox Suits, I kind of wish that the rights to all the characters would just expire and revert back to Marvel and the Mouse. They've shown that they know how to handle them properly; plus it allows for crossovers that don't get caught up in legalistic quicksand that prevents them from being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Seeing as how that isn't going to happen anytime soon, Millar offers a glimmer of hope that the next decade at Fox could be an exciting one:

"This the one that's going to surprise people. This and
First Class were Year Zero for the Fox Marvel movies as far as I'm
concerned."

Year Zero? That's a bold statement to make. Hopefully he's right, and not just towing the company line. Being as it's Millar, I think he'll stay true to himself and not say things for the check, especially since he doesn't need the Benjamins.

I get what he's trying to say, with "X-Men: First Class" being a great reboot of the original trilogy of films (especially with the weak third film). It was a film that showed great care with the property, while still moving it forward in the cinematic realm. If "The Wolverine" turns out to be that good it could be a great thing for Marvel/Disney and even Fox.

Now, if they can get the "Fantastic Four" reboot working on the same level. Here's a hint, Mark. Have them go back to the original script by MichaelFrance and ChrisColumbus. It was very well written, faithful adaptation to the comic that didn't come off like a bad family drama. Use that as your inspiration, but don't redo the origin, unless you want to have it told in flashback using the opening credits. There is no need to keep telling us the beginning again.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

So we now have our first glance of the Wicked Witch of the East/West...

Walt Disney Pictures released another teaser pic of next year's "Oz the Great and Powerful" today. It looks like Rachel Weisz after she's gone dark, or green, I should say. If you've seen the trailer, then you know she's a bit different at the beginning of the film. Something turns her. And she then turns into this. Not bad. Definitely wicked.

Monday, December 17, 2012

From television, games, toys, clothing, books to comics, the galaxy George Lucas created is vast and filled with boundless opportunities. If you love Star Wars and you collect comics, then you know that Dark Horse Comics has had the licensing rights to the Galaxy Far, Far Away for a long, long time. And they've done some very interesting, and quite high quality tales over the years.

One of the things that many people wondered after Disney bought Lucasfilm was how long will this relationship continue? Especially since the Mouse owns Marvel, the largest comics publisher in the world. Well, it appears we now have the answer. The Suits in the know have determined that no new contracts will be given to Dark Horse after the current ones expire. So all new projects after 2013 will be handled internally by Marvel.

It's not known yet if titles will be worked into the regular line up, or will Marvel create a special branch of the company that deals with Star Wars. It'll take a couple of years for the old deals to work there course, but the stories that Dark Horse have coming down the pipeline will be the last. And you can expect anything new from Marvel dealing with Star Wars to arrive around 2015.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Just last week we learned the Mouse had hired a new screenwriter to move the project forward. Then Garrett Hedlund admitted he was coming back for another round (which he's contractually obligated to anyway). Now comes a little more data from the Grid by the director himself, Joseph Kosinski thanks to Collider.

It seems he's keen on the idea they have for the sequel, but he's waiting to see how it translates in the script.

“There is certainly a chance, like I said; we’re writing the script
now. Sometimes with these things all the pieces fall into place. I
mean, we’ve been talking about this for years and we don’t have the
script now, but sometimes things fall into place very quickly, and if
everything lines up it could happen. That’s all I can say, it’s too
early.”

Of course, we'll have to wait till mid next year before we find out if that draft of the script will get the film greenlit. Even if it does, it looks like a late 2014/early 2015 release is optimistic. But it's not out of the question. And Kosinski claiming that this film would have to have "Empire Strikes Back" tones only raises the stakes for what this film has to strive for. But it's good to see things moving forward, and the wheels turning for the sequel to the 80's cult classic.

I just hope that the Cillian Murphy/Sark's son idea is really expanded...

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

I can't wait to see these on the big screen. Guillermodel Toro's new film, "Pacific Rim" has finally had its first trailer released. Giant robots versus giant monsters. Is there really any need to say more? It looks fantastic, and you can see del Toro's signature vision stamped across each and every frame of this trailer. If the film lives up to the trailer then this will be one fun event next year.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

And it's a very lovely look. A dreamy, hyper-realistic look and feel of an American icon that many have thought was too old fashioned, too corner and too dated.

If the film lives up to this trailer then those critics will be eating a lot of crow. I hope they end up eating copious amounts of the bird. My only real complaint is when Jonathan Kent talks about the act that Clark did. He wouldn't say that. He would be instilling values on his adopted son to do the right thing regardless of the consequences. He would be the focal point of the young Superman's values. He wouldn't say that statement, unless there are words on the other side of it that better elaborate what he was talking about. But other than that, this looks like a film I can't wait to see.

The only thing that could spoil it would be if they tacked on a clip of Batman after the credits portrayed by a Bruce Wayne-less Joseph Gordon Levitt...

It's a visually impressive piece of work. You can clearly see that this is a wild west version of the tale of "Don Quixote" that Verbinski is trying to tell (Which is strange since the Mouse is now working on a version of that tale for Depp.). Will it work for audiences? That will be the question that will be answered next summer. The director knows how to do a western, as he told with the animated film, "Rango".

Friday, December 7, 2012

Well, it's not really a film by the Mouse, but it could have been, and was. Joseph Kosinski's follow up to "Tron: Legacy" was based on a graphic novel that he and Arvid Nelson created for Radical Publishing.

Walt Disney Studios won the rights to the story over other studios, but after months of working on it decided that it wasn't the right fit for a Disney film. They could have keep it and released it under the Touchstone Pictures banner, but it appears that that label is being used exclusively for Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Pictures releases. Of course, Disney still has the Hollywood Pictures label that could have been brought back to use as the release label of the picture. But it was not to be.

The studio let the film go, and Kosinski shopped it around to other studios with Universal Pictures finalling deciding to take it up. And now we have our first look at the teaser poster for the film. Quite beautiful and apocalyptic, don't you think?

It makes you wonder if Disney did the right thing...

UPDATE: Right on the heals of the first poster being released, comes the first trailer for the film. It has Kosinski's distinctive look, and you can see the influence of world building from his take on Tron here. Very interesting. April will be here before you know it.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

So bit by bit, day by day, we slowly get to see the slate of films that Alan Horn is creating for the Mouse...

A whole lot of sci-fi, a good portion of fantasy, a slight touch of nostalgia and even a bit of mystery. That sums of what we've seen so far, but the future will not start to unfold till 2014/15 before we see the full Horn line up of films.

Well, here's the list of scripts/films/pitches that he's lined up so far. It will be a while before we find out how many of these make it all the way through production, as Hollywood is littered with dreams and scripts that died or got lost along the way.

The Rocketeer(remake) - The studio is reportedly pursuing writers to reboot the cult property based on the comic by Dave Stevens. While no news has come out since Vulture broke the story in August, it's believed that Disney is still looking for the right take on the character.

Flight of the Navagator(remake) - The 80's story of a boy that gets a spaceship of his own will get a reboot for the 21st century. Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly are writing the script, with Trevorrow being eyed for the director's chair.

Star Wars(sequel, spin-off) - MichaelArbdt has been put in charge of creating the playbook for another Star Wars trilogy, as well as writing the first chapter of the three. It addition to Episode VII, Lucasfilm has hired Larence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg to explore other parts of the Skywalker's galaxy. This will provide Horn with a Star Wars film every couple of years for Disney's schedule.

Tron 3(sequel) - The sequel to Legacy has languished over the past year, but Horn has hired Jesse Wigutow to take over from the previous writer because he believes in the value of this brand. The possibilities of The Grid could come into theaters around the same time you may be able to experience the world of Tron (providing you're in China).

1952(sci-fi original) - BradBird returns to Disney (sadly, not as Star Wars director) to film an original science fiction tale written by Damon Lindelof, that will possibly star George Clooney. The word is that Studio suits, Horn particularly, think the project could be a tentpole film launching a new franchise. If I were Horn, I'd put Bird under long term, exclusive contract.

The Stuff of Legend(adaptation) - Based on the comic Written by Mike Raicht and Brian Smith and illustrated by Charles Paul Wilson III, is a battle between the Boogeyman and childhood toys (a dark twist on Toy Story). Pete Candeland will adapt the graphic novel.

Untitled Scott Rosenberg film(?) - Almost nothing is known about this project, other than the fact that suits liked the pitch so much that they payed over a million for it up front. In these times that says a lot. More layers of this onion should be peeled in the new year, and I'm sure by the holidays next year, we'll have a much fuller understanding of what was so special.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day(adaptation) - A classic children's book by award winning, author Judith Viorst, adapted and directed by Lisa Cholodenko with Steve Carell starring? It sounds like the kind of family entertainment that the Mouse has been looking for.

Matched(adaptation) - Everyone has been doing YA films and television shows the last few year to take advantage of the "Twilight" phenomenon, except Disney. Now they get into the game with an adaptation of the first novel in the "Matched" trilogy. Set in a dystopian future, where the mysterious society dictates every part of your life (fiction, or just around the corner?), if follows a seventeen year old girl and her love interest. I would openly pan these things normally, but I'll wait till we see a trailer for this before I become too judgemental.

Peter and the Starcatchers(adaptation) - The adaptation of the first novel in the series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson is getting the grand treatment under Gary Ross's helm. Essentially a prequel to the Peter Pan tale that follows the Neverland crew on adventures before Wendy and the world intrude the second star to the right. This one has franchise written all over it. The question is will it have box office hit written all over it?

Terra Incognita(sci-fi original, ?) - Nicole Perlman, who co-wrote DreamWorks Animation's "Rise of the Guardians" sold this pitch days ago to the Mouse. Other than Justin Springer being attached as producer, nothing is known about the story, except it interested Horn enough to buy the pitch upfront.

Don Quixote(period adventure) - Horn's latest acquisition/deal with Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil production company producing. The famous tale of Alonso Quijano, a man who goes on a quest with his squire, Sancho Panza, in search of renewal and adventure. So Terry Gilliam will see at least something arise from his attempt to use this novel as a parable.

This is the short lists of what has been approved to go into development, production or purchase. And as 2013 comes around we'll likely see a whole lot more pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Tron Lives! Not that it wasn't already in development. But Alan Horn has decided to move forward with the sequel to the sequel. It's been in development for a while. David DiGilio (Eight Below) did the previous draft of the script, but The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog is reporting the Mouse has hired Jesse Wigutow to write the latest revision. We don't know if it's a complete rewrite or a polish of DiGilio's version. But the project is moving forward with a new writer and JosephKosinski still attached to direct the sequel.

Production on the sequel won't begin for months, presuming this draft of the Tron franchise is green lit, the earliest it will be shooting is late 2013/early 2014. That means the release date for TR3N will likely be in 2015. That's five years since "Tron: Legacy" came out.

Still, at least it's not twenty-eight years like between Legacy and the original...

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

It's either been seriously delayed or outright cancelled. The planned streaming service known as Disney Movies Online is scheduled to close at the end of the year, but it's not known when the replacing service known as Disney Movies Anywhere will be launched. With the announcement of the Walt Disney Company's agreement with streaming uber-giant, Netflix, that appears to be the end of this service. If not, you're talking about it being implemented late in the decade, or possibly even not till the next decade.

The new agreement that was announced will cover all direct to DVD films starting in 2013, and all new releases starting in 2016. It's highly unlikely that Disney will start a service that competes with Netflix right when the service starts in a few years. It appears that the Suits inside Burbank have punted for the time being and chosen to let someone like Netflix handle the hassle instead of dealing with it themselves.

Perhaps the option will be for Disney to acquire Netflix in the future and use it as the streaming service for its content instead of trying to create a service from scratch? Iger has been willing to buy content creators to have a steady line of properties, what's wrong with buying a service to distribute that content?